Authorities in Berbice are on the hunt for a patient of the Psychiatric Hospital in New Amsterdam who along with several others escaped during a fire at the facility Saturday night which left several persons injured.
So far, five patients have been recaptured. Initially, the police said this morning that four of them were found and handed over to the institution. The fifth patient was subsequently located in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam by police earlier today. He was returned to the mental facility.
The search continues for the remaining patient at large.
Last night’s fire started sometime around 19:30h.
It was reported that a fight had broke out between three of the 31 male inmates housed in the Chalet 4 Male Admission Ward about 19:15 hours.
As a result, the matron along with the supervisor and two male nurses went to the Chalet 4 Male Admission Ward, where on arrival they saw smoke coming from inside of the ward and heard patients shouting for help.
As a result, the Fire Service and Police were called. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire.
However as the Fire Service was in the process of extinguishing the fire, the patients broke out from a southern door and 9 of them escaped.
Three of them were subsequently recaptured and a fourth voluntarily walked into the hospital. They all had burn injuries about their body and received medical attention.
Eleven of the other patients who received burns about their bodies were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where they were admitted and are said to be in a stable condition.
Meanwhile, eight of the remaining patients are being housed in the Acute Centre, while three are housed in Chalet One.
No fatalities recorded. Investigations are in progress.
